Food should not have left the kitchen Ordered fish and chips. The fish was burned and turned upside down to hide the the worst of it. Fish was like rubber. Completely inedible and should not have been served. Other half ordered pie and mash. The pie was dry! No sauce or anything just potato and a little cheese for filling. I’m a local but rather than complaining and getting a refund, I will never return and will share my feedback with friends who also live in the area. Such poor quality that should never have been served in the first place. Shame.

Wow, £7 a pint for Cider. £7.50 for a sausage that has been nuked in a microwave. Manager lied and said the sausage was done in the oven........paltry portions. Refund given for the sausage and chips. Avoid at all costs.

Had an evening work function and am surprised this establishment is still open. No atmosphere whatsoever. No music because they don't have a license. What pub doesn't have a license to play music?? During December when they should be at their busiest, there were 5 non-eating patrons, other than our group. Surprisingly, they still managed to forget two main courses even though we had pre-ordered. The food was bland but edible, portion size was fair and our group had a great time, because we made it great. I would certainly never revisit this pub as it offers absolutely nothing. Disappointing.

Stopped here for a beer on walk around the Bay, expensive for a pint of Sam Smiths at £4.50 but cheaper than the Cider which was nearly £7 a pint. Very few customers and though the decor toilets etc were very good it lacked atmosphere due to lack of customers, probably due to high prices. Though I was told that as a 'Flagship Location' (next to Welsh Parliament) it's prices were justified we were tempted to walk back to other bars for a much more reasonably priced drink. Better use could also be made of the outside seating at the front which catches the sun till early evening. Sadly we shall not hurry back as its location though lovely is hampered by lack of atmosphere and high prices.. T.H.

Nice friendly pub, slightly away from the main food/drink area. Good selections of ales and beers, food was good and the staff were friendly. Chilled and quite atmosphere. Bit pricey otherwise 5*

Disappointing. Called in for lunch & found their menu drastically reduced - which I suppose is understanding but unfortunately what they've chosen to offer is 'easiest option' and not particularly suited to summertime dining. Such a shame as one of our favourite places but we only stayed this time for 1 drink - (1/2 beer & tap water!)

Been here a few times. It's a very unusual pub, very quiet with a tense atmosphere - feels like a library. Also as per other comments, it's pretty expensive. Probably won't return.

Lovely pub. Serve all their own branded alcohol. Tried 1 of there largers and it was spot on. Will definitely return

Good things: the food was actually really tasty. Not so good things: we were the only customers there, they had our order ahead of time so knew what to cook and how much, and yet they failed to serve two of our colleagues?? They only received their dishes after everyone else finished eating theirs. There's no music there? We asked but it seems they don't even have speakers. Drinks are ridiculously expensive but then I assume it's the case everywhere right now... It was rather tight - there were 19 of us and we were pretty squeezed, I'm not sure how they wanted to accommodate the original number of attendees (a few people cancelled last minute). I am actually impressed this place is still going.

Nice relaxing bar. Allows dogs and has some old Sam Smiths beers. I haven't tried the food yet though but it looks good. Doesn't have Guinness but has a Sam Smiths stout. It loses a star for young staff paying more attention to her phone than the customers.

Lovely location,staff nice,dog friendly. It was expensive so only stayed for 1 drink. (£10.40 for a lemonade and a pint)

When we arrived and went to bar to place our drink and food order- the bartender told us the food would be about a 45 min wait (there was only 3 other very small tables of people in the building at the time of 2-3 people) and we said that was fine and decided since it would be such a wait to order several small nibbles to eat while we waited on our main courses. After an hour of not receiving anything at all we finally asked who we believed to be the chef (who was chilling outside having a cigarette and then hanging out with the other table and their dog) if we could possibly get at least our nibbles checked on since it had been over an hour of waiting. He then went to the back and came out with it and acted surprised that we wanted it before our main meal. Everything was burnt and overcooked but we were starving so we didn’t even care at that point. I’m so confused as there were only 6 people in the entire building how the food was taking so long in the first place. If you only have one day of vacationing in Wales- I highly suggest an alternative idea for food.

Really nice pub in a very central location. Good beer selection, good menu, plenty of room. Toilets are downstairs, so that may be an issue for some people. There are electric vehicle chargers in Bute Street, which is a very short walk away, so EV drivers could plug in while they have lunch at The Waterguard.

Nice pub with good food in a brilliant location. Outside seating and dog friendly, right by the bay. Not a fan of Sam Smiths beers, or their bizarre policy’s, but if the weather is decent this place is well worth a punt.

Great pleace! Cozy atmosphere, excellent meals, fantastic fireplace. We greatly appreciate tech detox policy ❤️

Set apart from the other eateries of Mermaid Quay, just past The Senedd, this Pub is well worth a visit. We were so glad that we continued walking past the other restaurants as the food and service were both excellent at The Waterguard. Would highly recommend. 😁

Only had a drink and sat outside but we have been coming here for years. Was an ideal place for adults to have a drink whilst their children play at the park. Two pints cost £14 so it’s a bit expensive but it’s a nice spot.

We were so happy to find this restaurant/bar quite late on a Sunday afternoon. We had our small dog with us so we weren't confident on finding a suitable place to eat. We were welcomed at the door and seated. We enjoyed a Sunday roast and even the dog received a small bowl of meat. Food quality was excellent, the veggies being cooked to perfection, not over-cooked. The dessert were delicious too. Thank you team Waterguard!

I feel like some of these reviews are unfair. There are criticisms that the pub doesn't have a music license - so? Who goes to a pub to listen to music. All Sam Smiths pubs don't have music, it's part of the aesthetic. You go there to chat, not to shout over the speakers. They say this on their website. Also, it's a proper public house, not a free house so they only do Sam Smiths products and associated products. This means Sam Smiths lager, bitter, crisps etc. I didn't know this until I went there and Googled it so I can understand why some people would rate this low, if they were expecting San Miguel on tap and Sam Smith on Radio 1. I will say however that it is expensive. More than £1 per pint more than the other bars in Cardiff Bay. I'd say try it out, but don't make it your regular unless you're a millionaire.

We went to this pub for a evening meal food was good. Also dog friendly as we were on holiday only staying in town for one night . Good outdoor seating area too out the back .

Banging place for a quiet pint or meal with the family/dogs. Been a few times, from the pie to burgers and the Sunday roast to the ice cream, we've never had a bad meal there. Drinks are all good too, cider to larger it's very reasonably priced and good quality. The views out the front and back are nice, facilities are all very accessible, play ground outside for the kids. Family and pet friendly atmosphere. Owners are nice too, very friendly. Never seen my daughter try to hug a stranger on first meeting them, really took to the manageress. Could go there as a 1st date or a 50th.

Good Sam Smith's pub, friendly and chatty staff. 2 1/2 pints of lager and a pint of coke cans to around £12. Nice place to sit outside in the shade on a sunny day.

Great place to visit. Going back at some point to stay overnight so we can do more.

A really nice pub (Dot) 🍻🍺🍴 They are serving mainly Samuel Smith's beers (they are good anyway) on draft and in bottles as well. Food is classic pub food, the ingredients are great quality ones. Burgers 🍔 are beautiful, the chips is hand made. The only shame is they are not doing roast on Sunday...amazing location... Overall: must have a bit of rest here after a long walk on the barrage 👣🚶 👷

Lovely pub, used to visit The Waterguard very often as it local to friends living near by. Great cosy atmosphere to have a quiet drink and chat up with mates. God selection of beers and food is nice also. Service and staff have always been good and would recommend to anyone visiting the bay.

Excellent! Lively views overlooking the bay. Our meal was delicious, and more importantly, our little dog was welcome. Will be returning.

Great views all round and the little room in the photo dedicated to the author Roald Dahl who was born nearby

Coffee was warm so took it back, no problem staffwere lovely and changed it. I had lasagne and salad to eat, couldn't eat it as it was not homemade, it had obviously come out of the microwave as the top of it was floating in fat! Not good. Won't be back

Lovely pub and setting, friendly staff. Drinks on the pricey side, paid £6-50 for a pint of organic larger.

This has become my local since getting an apartment down the Bay. The selection of beers is very good and the steak & ale pie is AMAZING!! I'd take a photo of it but it didn't last long enough on my plate to take the shot! 🤣

Nice god bear comfortably seting

Stopped by for a late afternoon fish and chips meal with garden peas and a couple of pints. Draught drinks menu was rather limited but what was on offer was still nice and not overly expensive for a nice location. Fish and chips were great, tasty and came piping hot to the table, only let down was the hard garden peas however this didn’t spoil the meal and I’m sure they’re not always hard... sticky toffee pudding with ice cream for dessert was also delicious and just right. Would recommend to anyone looking for a good value bite to eat in the Cardiff Bay Area!

My wife and I have just visited The Waterguard. The staff were very welcoming and pleasant. Without exception. The food was really nice and both the drinks and food were priced according. No problem. The seating and surroundings really pleasant light and airey. Our only complaint which we brought to attention of manager. In the corners of the front facing high glass windows are a quantity of disgusting cobwebs, dirt and dead insects. Not good when food is served on premise. The manager stated brewery are aware but will not sort it. That was our only complaint. Please get it sorted ASAP. Excellent value. We will be back

This place belongs to a brewery and for many years stays our favourite contemporary pub. Try 2% lager, which is exceptionally good, sitting on sunny grass patch outside the pub.

Very nice place to drink either inside or out. But with our bottle of stout costing us £6 each won't be rushing back I'm afraid.